Prefabricated railway refrigerator car



Nov. 14, 1950 G. P. TORBURN PREFABRICATED RAILWAY REFRIGERATOR CAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1945 INVEN TOR. fiaezau P 70/191072,

Nov. 14, 1950 G. P. TORBURN PREFABRICATED RAILWAY REFRIGERATOR CAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 22, 1945 N v Ila.

Nov. 14, 1950 G. P. TORBURN PREFABRICATED RAILWAY REFRIGERATOR can 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 22, 1945 I N V EN TOR. Gasta UP for!) am,

Nov. 14, 1950 s. P. TORBURN PREFABRICATED RAILWAY REFRIGERATOR CAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Bed. 22, 1945 INVENTOR. 01.452220]? YbfibL/YZ,

Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED math STATES ATENT QFFICE PREFABRICATED RAILWAY REFRIGERATOR CAR 14 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities at predetermined temperatures. fhe essential feature of such a car is an insulated body to retard or prevent ingress of heat during warm weather and egress of heat during cold weather.

This invention relates specifically to prefabrication of such a refrigerator car wherein the side wall structures, the roof structure, the ceiling structure, the underframe structure and the end wall structures are each preassembled as separate units, 1. e., all the component parts of each of said structures are secured together to form separate unitary structures which may quickly and economically be secured together to form a complete refrigerator car.

A further object of the invention is to form the margins of the several unitary structures so that they may readily be assembled and secured together by comparatively simple means accessible from the exterior of the car and so that any one of the several unitary structures may be removed and replaced without disturbing insulation and lining or any of the other unitary structures.

A further object is to position the insulation in each of said unitary structures so that upon assembling any two of the structures together the insulations contact each other or preferably compress each other so as to retard heat transfer between said structures.

One of the objects of the prefabricated car is to facilitate repairs to damaged cars by prefabricating such unitary structures advance of requirements so that when a car is received at the repair shop, for instance, with a damaged side wall, the side wall on the car can be removed and another prefabricated side wall quickly substituted for the damaged side wall so that the car can be again put in service with the minimum loss of time.

A further object is to provide a unitary ceiling structure, separate and separable from the unitary roof structure, and so associate the roof and ceiling structure that the may be removed from the car together or separately as desired.

A further object is to provide each unitary structure, i. e., roof, side, end and/or underframe with marginal stiifeners, which may or may not be frame members of the car, which marginal stiiieners cooperate with the marginal stifieners on the adjacent unitary structure when the said adjacent structures are in assembled relationship and secured together to materially reinforce each otherh In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross section of my improved prefabricated railway refrigerator car showing the assembled underframe, roof, roof ceiling and side wall unitary structures.

Figure 2' shows the upper portion of the side wall structure.

Figure 3 shows the end portion of the ceiling structure.

Figure 4 shows the end portion of the roof structure.

Figure 5 shows the side wall structure, ceiling structure and roof structure assembled.

Figure 6 shows the lower portion of the side wall structure.

Figure 7 shows the end portion of the underframe structure.

Figure 8 shows the lower portion of the side wall structure and the underframe structur assembled.

Figure 9 is similar to Figure 5 and shows the section through the side door lintel.

Figure 10 is similar to Figure 8 and shows the section through the side door threshold.

Figure 11 is similar to Figure 5 and shows a modified structure.

Figure 12 shows the end'portion of a side wall structure,

Figure 13 shows the end portion of an end wall structure.

Figure 14 shows the end of the side wall structure and the side of the end wall structure assembled.

Figures 15, 16 and 17 show a modified construction, wherein Figure 15 is an end portion of a side wall structure; Figure 16 is a side portion of the end wall structure and Figure 17 shows the modified side wall structure and end wall structure assembled.

Figure 18 shows the end of the roof structure and the top of the end structure assembled.

Figure 19 shows the end of the underframe structure and the bottom of the end wall structure assembled.

Figure 1 shows the several unitary structures assembled together to form a complete car wherein A is the side wall structure; B is the side wall structure through the doorway; C is the ceiling structure; 1) is the roof structure; E is the underframe structure and F is the end wall structure.

Figure 2 shows the upper portion of a side wall structure A comprising outer sheathing 2; side lining insulation 3; vertical post 5 and upper chord '6. The upper portion of the chord 6 is curved inwardly and upwardly and terminates in a horizontally disposed U-section comprising an upper arm I; a lower arm 8 and a base 9 with a space Ill between the upper and lower arms. The lower part of the chord overlaps the side sheathing 2 and forms a watershed H. The upper part 13 of each vertical post curves inwardly and conforms substantially to the curved portion of the chord 6 and terminates below the lower arm 8 of the U-section so as to support the roof. The chord is preferably secured to the post by rivets I 4. The base 9 of the U-section is in substantially the same vertical plane as the inner surface N3 of the side lining 3.

Figure 3 is an end portion of the ceiling structure C and comprises a plurality of spaced apart supporting hangers 2!]; ceiling 2i; stringers 22; insulation 23 and insulation support 24. Each supporting hanger comprises a horizontal part 25 resting upon and supported by the upper arm I of the upper chord 6. Each supporting hanger 20 also has a substantially horizontal arm 25 from which the longitudinal stringers 22 and lateral stringers 28 are suspended. These lateral stringers 28 support the insulation 23 through the support 24.

The ceiling 2| is secured to the longitudinal 22 and lateral 28 stringers preferably by nails or screws.

This ceiling unit C may be assembled as a unitary structure and lowered vertically until the parts 25 of the hangers on opposite sides of the car rest upon and engage the upper arms I on opposite sides of the car. The longitudinal and lateral strings 22-28 provide suflicient strength so that the ceiling structure can be moved as a unit.

Figure 4 shows the roof structure D which comprises a plurality of roof sheets 30 extending crosswise of the car having upstanding flanges 31 at their adjacent margins which are secured together by the carline seam cap 32. The roof sheets 30 and the seam caps 32 are assembled as units and lowered vertically until the side margins thereof rest upon and are supported by the upper arms I of the side wall chords 6. The roof sheets 30 and seam caps 32 are offset to clear the parts 25 of the supporting hangers, as shown in Figure 5.

The upper arm 7 of the upper chord 6 is pro- .vided with a plurality of key hole slots 33 with the long axis thereof extending lengthwise of the car. A square shank bolt 35 is inserted through each key hole slot 33 with the shank extending upwardly so that the supporting hangers 20 and roof structure D may be installed and then the nuts 35 be applied from the exterior of the car. The space 10 is only large enough to allow for the insertion of or removal of the bolts 35.

A water-proofing washer 3! is preferably used under the nuts 36 so that water cannot follow the shank of the bolt.

The depending flanges 39 of the carline caps 32 and the depending flanges 4B of the roof sheets 30 substantially close the space [0 between the upper and lower arms 1-8 of the upper chord 6 to prevent rain, snow and other foreign matter from passing through the key hole slots 33 and thence into the car.

It will be noted in Figure 2 that the upper part 4| of the insulation 4 projects beyond the vertical plane [5 of the inside of the side lining 3 and that in Figure 3 the insulation 23 in the ceiling structure C between the hangers 20 projects beyond the hangers and stringers 22 so that when the ceiling structure is assembled with the two.

4 side wall structures and the end wall structure F, the insulations contact each other and preferably compress each other (see Figures 5 and 9) and thereby retard heat transfer between the two structures. In other words, the insulations in the two structures project beyond the contacting plane or planes of the two adjacent structures. I have described this relationship between the two insulations of two adjacent unitary structures and the reasons therefor and it will be noted from the other figures in the drawings that this same relationship applies between the side wall structure and the end wall structure and between the lower portion of the side wall structure and the underframe, as well as between the roof structure and the end wall structure.

Figures 9 and 10 show vertical sections through the upper and lower parts of the side wall structure B at the doorway, wherein in Figure 9 the door lintel 59 is notched at 5! to receive the usual door sealing means and the sheathing 52 is provided with a horizontal flange 53 to support the door lintel.

The insulation 54 between the lintel 50 and the upper chord S of the side wall projects beyond the lintel when the side wall unit is not assembled with the roof ceiling structure.

In Figure 10 the threshold 50 is supported by the block 31 which rests upon the angle 62 which is secured to the lower chord 63 of the side wall. The side sheathing G4 is provided with a horizontal flange 85 positioned under the threshold, which flange protects the block 6!. The lower part of the sheathing is curved inwardly at 66 for appearance.

Figure 6 shows the lower portion of the side wall A comprising lower chord 63 having an upstanding outer flange 68 to which the sheathing 2 is secured and a depending inner flange 69 for attachment to the underfrarne structure E.

Figure '7 shows the side portion of the underframe structure E comprising cross bearers 70 supporting a longitudinally extending angle H which in turn supports the lower stringers l2; sub-floor l3; insulation 14; upper stringers 15 and main floor 16. The stringers '18 support the foraminous floor l9, commonly called a floor .rack.

Figure 8 shows the structures of Figures 6 and '7 in assembled relation, wherein the depending flange 83 of the lower chord B3 and the flange of the angle H on the underframe E are secured together by rivets 8! or some other attaching means.

The insulation 83, as shown in Figure 6, is of such width that it is pressed against the stringer 75 when the side wall structure A and underframe structure E are moved horizontally in contact with each other and secured together.

In removing a. side wall structure A or B from the car vertical braces (not shown) are temporarily installed to support the ceiling and roof structures independently of the side wall structure, then the bolts 35 which secure the roof and ceiling structures to the side wall structure are removed; then the rivets 8! which secure the side wall structure to the underframe are removed; then the means which secure the side wall structure A or B to the end wall structure F are removed; then the side wall structure is lowered to clear the depending roof flanges 39-40 and then moved sidewise away from the car.

Figure 11 shows a modified structure wherein the upper chord G of the side wall structure A is reinforced by a rolled T-section 84 having the base 85 thereof conforming to the curvature of the upper chord 6 and secured thereto by welding, as shown at 86 and 81. The stem 8 B of the T- section extends substantially normal to the chord B and reinforces the chord to resist the compressive stresses of the side wall structure as a truss. The upper end of the post conforms to the curvature of the upper chord B and one part of the base 85-of the T, the ends 89 of the posts and the chord are secured together by the rivets 90. The stem of the T is secured to the post by the rivets 9 I. The base 85 of the T-section extends upwardly sufliciently to support the lower arm 8 of the U-section of the chord. Numeral 92 shows a preferred form of weatherproofing lock washer which is disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application for patent filed September '7, 1944, Serial Number 552,951, now Patent No. 2,393,431, dated January 22, 1946.

Figure 12 shows the end portion of the side wall structure A; Figure 13 shows a portion of the end wall structure F and Figure 14 shows the structures of Figures 12 and 13 in assembled relation.

The vertical side wall marginal stiffener 95 comprises a base 96, a flange 9'! and a refiangel 98, which stiffener 95 is secured to the sheathing by the rivet 99.

The end wall structure F comprises a metallic plate I90 provided with horizontallly disposed corrugations IIJI which terminate in a marginal flange I I12 which is reinforced by a W-section corner post I03 comprising angularly disposed arms I04 and I95, each provided with a refiange IDS-401. The reflange IE6 is secured to the corrugated plate I by the rivet I98. The refiange I0? and the flange I02 of the corrugated plate I93 are secured to the stiffener 95 by means of the bolt I 99. The stiffener is provided with keyhole slots so that the bolts I09 may be inserted or removed from the outside of the car.

It will be noted in Figures 12 and 13 that the insulations IIO4 in these structures project beyond the contacting plane when the structures are not in assembled relation so that the insulations are compressed, as shown in Figure 14, when assembled.

Figures 15, 16 and 17 show a modification of the structure shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14 and show a stiflener II2 of Z-section on the side wall comprising a web I I3, outer flange H4 and inner flange II so that a single bolt IIS connects the side wall structure A to the end wall structure F which may be removed from the outside of the car so that the side wall structure may be moved outwardly in a horizontal plane when bein removed from the end wall structure (that is, after it has been lowered to clear the depending flange 3940 of the roof structure). It will be noted in Figures 15 and 16 that the insulations 4 in the side and I It in the end wall, as well as the additional insulation IIB, all project beyond the contacting plane of these two structures so that they are compressed when the structures are assembled together, as shown in Figure H, to retard heat transfer between these structures.

In the construction shown in Figure 17 either the end wall structure F, or the side wall structure A, may be re-removed from the car without disturbing the other of said structures.

Figure 18 shows the connection between the end wall structure F, roof structure D and ceiling structure C. The upper chord I29 of the end wall structure is curved inwardly and upwardly and provided with a U-shaped end portion I2I similar to the upper chord 6 of the side wall structure. The end roof sheet I22 is provided with a depending flange I23 to keep foreign matter from entering the car through the keyhole slots of the bolts I24. These flanges I23 also stiffen the edge of the roof structure to prevent buckling in transportaion.

The end wall F comprises a corrugated plate I90, inner lining I26 and insulation I Ill therebetween. The upper part I28 of the end wall insulation I I9 normally projects beyond the plane I29 so that when assembled with the ceiling structure it is compressed against the insulation 23 of the ceiling structure and the lateral ceiling stringers 28.

Figure 19 shows the connection between the end wall structure F and the underframe structure E. The underframe structure is provided with an end sill I30 comprising a web I 32 and spaced flanges I32-I33 which are secured to the center sills of the car and side angles II of the underframe in any convenient manner.

The end wall corrugated plate I39 is secured to the Web I3I of the end sill I33 by a rivet I34 which is removable from the outside of the car.

The end wall structure can be removed by simply removing the bolts I24 securing the end wall structure to the roof structure, removing bolts I09 or I I6 which secure the end structure to the side wall structure and the rivet I34 which secures the end wall structure to the underframe structure.

Each unitary structure is provided at its margins with stiffeners so that each of such uni-ts may be moved, i. e., specifically may be moved with overhead cranes without buckling or distortion thereof. For instance, the side Walls A and B have the upper chords at the top, and lower chords at the bottom, and the stifieners at the vertical margins. The ceilin structure has the longitudinal stringers and the lateral stringers. The end wall structures F have the upper chord and the corrugations in the end of the plate to stifien the plate in all directions. The underframe structure has the end sill and the longitudinal angles.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that either the end wall structure F, side wall structures A and B, underframe structure E or roof structure D may be removed as a unit from the car for repair and replacement without removing any of the other structures and that when assembled the insulation at the junctures of the several unitary structures is continuous for all intents and purposes. Furthermore, the ceiling C may be removed by simply first removing the roof D.

The accompanying drawings illustratethe preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, Within the scope of the claims, Will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A prefabricated railway refrigerator car comprising a unitary vertical wall structure comprising spaced vertical posts with the upper portions thereof curved inwardly and an upper chord conforming to the curved portions of the posts and secured thereto and terminating in a substantially horizontally disposed U-section comprising an upper arm and a lower arm with a space between said arms, said lower arm being above and supported bythe curved portions of the posts, a unitary roof structure supported by said upper arm and provided with a depending marginal flange which substantially closes said space, and bolts passin through apertures in said roof structure and said upper arm with the nuts on the upper ends thereof, whereby upon removal of said nuts said roof structure may be removed without disturbing the wall structure.

2. A prefabricated railway refrigerator car comprising a roof, a unitary vertical wall structure comprising spaced vertical posts with the upper portions thereof curved inwardly, a lining secured to said posts and insulation between the posts and the lining, and an upper chord conforming to the curved portions of the posts and secured thereto and terminating in a substantially horizontally disposed U-section comprising an upper arm and a lower arm with a space be tween said arms with the base of the U-section being in the same vertical plane as the lining, said lower arm being above and supported by the curved portions of the posts, a unitary ceiling structure comprising a plurality of spaced apart supporting hangers each having a horizontal part resting upon and supported by said upper arm under the roof, a ceiling supported by said supporting hangers, said supportinghangers and said ceiling, with the exception of said hanger parts, being within the vertical plane of the inside of said lining, and bolts passing through apertures in said upper arm, said roof and said parts of the supporting hangers, whereby upon removal of said bolts said roof may be removed without disturbing the wall structure or ceiling structure or the roof structure and the ceiling structure may be removed together without disturbing the wall structure.

3. A prefabricated railway refrigerator car comprising a roof, a unitary vertical wall structure comprising an outer sheathing, an inner lining and insulation therebetween, an upper chord terminating in a substantially horizontally disposed U-section comprising an upper arm and a lower arm with a space between said arms with the base of the U-section being in the same vertical plane as the lining, a unitary ceiling structure comprising a plurality of spaced apart supporting hangers each having a horizontal part resting upon and supported by said upper arm under the roof, a ceiling supported by said supporting hangers, insulation supported by said ceiling, said insulation normally extending beyond the lining between the hangers, said supporting hangers and said ceiling, with the exception of said hanger parts, being within the vertical plane of the inside of said lining, and means securing said roof and said parts to said upper arm, whereby upon removal of said means said roof structure may be removed without disturbing the wall structure or ceiling structure or the roof structure and the ceiling structure may be removed together without disturbing the wall structure.

4. A prefabricated railway refrigerator car comprising a roof, a unitary vertical wall structure comprising an outer sheathing, an inner ining and insulation therebetween and an upper chord, the inner margin of the chord being in the same vertical plane as the lining, said insulation normally projecting beyond said plane, a plurality of spaced apart supporting hangers each having a horizontal part resting upon and supported by said chord, a ceiling supported by said supporting hangers, insulation supported by said ceiling, said insulation normally extending beyond the lining between the hangers, said sup- "porting hangers and said ceiling, with the exception of said hanger parts, being within the vertical plane of the inside of said lining, and means securing said roof to said chord, whereby upon removal of said means either of said structures may be removed from the car without disturbing the other of said structures and whereby upon assembling said structures together the insulations in said structures compress each other so as to retard heat transfer between said structures.

5. A prefabricated railway refrigerator car including a unitary vertical wall structure comprising spaced vertical posts, lining, insulation between the posts and the lining and a lower chord for said wall including a depending flange, a unitary underframe structure including transverse stringers, a supporting member extending lengthwise of the underframe which is supported by and secured to the ends of said stringers and provided with a vertical flange and a floor supported by said stringers, and means to secure said depending flange to said vertical flange, said wall structure below the top of the floor being within the vertical plane of said vertical flange, whereby upon removal of said means the side wall structure may be separated from the underframe structure by being moved outwardly therefrom.

6. A prefabricated railway refrigerator car including a side wall structure comprising a sheathing having a vertical marginal stiffener including an arm positioned normally to said sheathing and set back from the edge thereof to provide a vertical recess opening toward the inside of the car, a side lining and insulation between said side lining and said sheathing, an end wall structure comprising an end wall plate, an end lining, insulation between said lining and said end wall plate and a corner post, a part of said corner post nesting in said recess behind said sheathing, and means to secure said part of the corner post to a portion of the side wall forming the recess, said side wall structure, with the exception of the elements forming the recess, being within the vertical' plane of i said arm, whereby upon removal of said means either the side wall structure or the end wall structure may be removed from the car without disturbing the other of said structures.

7. A prefabricated railway refrigerator car including a side wall structure comprising a recess at one vertical margin thereof opening toward the inside of the car, an end wall structure comprising an end lining and a corner post, a part of said corner post nesting in said recess, and means to secure the end wall structure within the recess, said side wall structure, with the exception of the elements forming the recess, being within the vertical plane of said recess, whereby upon removal of said means either the side wall structure or the end wall structure may be removed from the car without disturbing the other of said structures.

8. In a prefabricated railway refrigerator car structure comprising a unitary underframe structure, a pair of unitar sidewall structures, a pair of unitary end wall structures, the margins of said structures including stiffeners having angularly disposed arms, an arm of each stiffener extending parallel to and lapping an arm of an adjacent stiffener, and removable means to se cure said lapped arms together so that upon removal of the securing means of any one of said structures said last mentioned structure can be removed from the car without disturbing any of the other structures.

9. A prefabricated railway refrigerator car comprising a unitary underframe structure, a pair of unitary side wall structures, a pair of unitary end wall structures, and a unitary roof structure having a depending flange about all sides thereof, upper chords secured to the upper margins of said side and end wall structures, each of said chords extending upwardly and inwardly and terminating in an outwardly facing U-section abutting said flanges, and means to secure the upper arm of the U-sections of said chords to said roof structure, so that upon removal of the securing means, said roof structure can be removed from the car without disturbing any of the other structures.

10. A structure as defined in claim 8 wherein each of said structures is provided with compressive insulation and the insulation projects beyond the contacting plane of each structure with the adjacent structure when any of said structures are not assembled with the other structures so that when any structure is assembled with another structure the insulations in the two structure compress each other so as to retard heat transfer between the two structures.

11. A structure as defined in claim 8 wherein one of said structures is provided with compressive insulation and the insulation projects beyond the contacting plane of said structure with an adjacent structure when said structure is not assembled with the other structures so that when said structure is assembled with another structure the insulation is compressed by the other structure so as to retard heat transfer between the two structures.

12. A prefabricated wall for a railway car comprising a metallic sheet, frame members at opposite margins of said sheet which project laterally therefrom, a lining spaced from said sheet and positioned substantially in the plane of the outer parts of the frame members, said lining terminating short of said frame members so as to provide a space between each edge of the lining and the adjacent frame member, and compressive insulation between said sheet and said lining which extends through said spaces and beyond the plane of the lining.

13. In a prefabricated railway refrigerator car comprising a unitary underframe structure, a pair of unitary side wall structures, a pair of unitary end wall structures, and a unitary roof structure, each of said structures including insulation and a lining, upper chords secured to the upper margins of said side and end wall structures, each of said chords extending upwardly and inwardly and terminating in an outwardly facing U-section, securing means accessible from the exterior of said roof structure for uniting the upper arms of said roof structure so that upon removal of the securing means therefor said roof structure may be removed from said car without disturbing an other structure or the insulation and lining of any structure.

14. In a railway car comprising a vertical wall structure comprising spaced vertical posts with the upper portions thereof curved inwardly, an upper chord conforming to the curved portions of the posts and secured thereto and terminating in a substantially horizontally disposed U-section comprising an upper arm and a lower arm with a space between said arms, a roof structure supported by said upper arm and provided with a depending marginal flange which substantially closes said space, and means to secure said roof structure to said upper arm.

. GUSTAV P. TORBURN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 671,173 Simpson Apr. 2, 1901 1,398,386 McRae Nov. 29, 1921 1,649,501 Williams Nov. 15, 1927 1,652,055 Schwartz Dec. 6, 1927 2,000,164 Ditchfield May 7, 1935 2,021,909 Brigham Nov. 26, 1935 2,223,667 Mussey Dec. 3, 1940 2,245,611 Schultz June 17, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 486,121 Germany Nov. 12, 1929 

